Last night was the first performance of Knight of the Burning Pestle. I commented to one of the actors at Wednesday’s dress that it felt like the whole thing has come together, gelled, at the point where the play is being conveyed properly. That even if the audience isn’t comfortable with the language of the Elizabethan era, they would be able to get the quirks and twists of the dialogue and the plot. Last night’s performance proved it. The house was more full than I expected for a Thursday opening night, and from where I was sitting, they were having quite a fine time.

But don’t take my word for it. You could ask people who were at the show last night, or better yet, you could come see the show for yourself. There are performances tonight and tomorrow at 8, and next Thursday and Friday at 8, and Saturday at 2. Tickets are $15 each, and the theater itself id just outside of Davis square, so super easy to get to. I’m very impressed with all the cast and crew and it’s an amazing production. And if you don’t laugh, I’ll even refund your tickets myself.

Just to get that out there first thing. What is Knight of the Burning Pestle? It’s a play written by Francis Beaumont around 1607. Lucky him, he’s been overshadowed in history by some guy pretentious enough to land the epithet of ‘Bard of Avon’. And that’s a real shame in its way, because Knight of the Burning Pestle is -damned- funny.

And there’s a production of it coming up by Theater@First. Click on that link for the full details, but in short, April 23rd, 24th, 25th, 30th, and May 1st at 8pm, or May 2nd at 2pm at Unity Church in Somerville, within a song’s distance of Davis Square.

You won’t see me on the stage playing a part. I’m not directing or producing in any way. I’m not even doing tech. You see, this show is going to have LIVE MUSIC, and I’m in the band. One of the fun parts of the script is how often it references music from the period. So we’ve taken those, and some other appropriate period music, and will be enlivening the performances all for you.

Now that I’ve told those who need to be told first, I can now say that earlier today I accepted a new job offer. As this year passes and a new one arrives, I’ll be stepping down from Regis and (re)joining Brandeis as their new Academic System Administrator. It’s a big change in some ways, and a little change in some others. As I have seven years under my belt at Regis, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I had some mixed thoughts about making the change. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done at Regis, and the growth opportunities it has afforded me. But equally, I’m looking forward to bringing my acquired skills and established enthusiasm to a new group, and looking forward to seeing what I can do there. And what new ways I might grow in doing so. And it doesn’t hurt that I’ll have a title that better reflects the work I so often do. I’ll still have to explain it to most of my family a few times before they start to understand it though. *grin*

(One of the hardest parts may be learning to walk to a different building after I park…)

Well, in honor of my 20th anniversary being in, out, around, over, under, and through the SCA (yeah, 20… I looked. Feast of the Simple Fare in Barony Beyond the Mountain in 1994 was my first event. Hard to pin it to an exact day though), I’ve gone and done something I’ve never done before.